


Devilish Kiss

by DragonSilk



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Itazura na Kiss, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Fluff, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, Plot heavily based on Itazura Na Kiss, Romance, The Kaibas keep their parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonSilk/pseuds/DragonSilk
Summary: In an Alternate Universe where Seto and Mokuba never end up in the orphanage or at the hands of Gozaburo, Seto Kaiba still isn't a normal high school boy. Regarded as the school genius, he's on somewhat friendly terms with Yugi Mutou but still aloof compared to the rest of his peers.That doesn't stop you from harboring a crush on him, but when you enter the last year of high school and the two of you still aren't in the same class, you know you have to take matters into your own hands if you want him to notice you.You're just not prepared for how rude the school genius can be.AU!Seto Kaiba/Reader
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Reader, Seto Kaiba/Reader
Comments: 33
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I have some important starting notes for this fic! 
> 
> YES! This plot is pretty much a rip-off of the popular and wonderful Itazura Na Kiss. I am unashamed of this as Kaiba fits the role perfectly, and I love that cute manga. Sometimes you just have to write out that AU life. 
> 
> I KNOW keeping the surname Kaiba makes zero sense in this context. I don't care. We don't know the original surname of the Kaiba brothers so I feel changing it would just be a distraction. Please know I live with the fact that this is kind of wonky. 
> 
> I feel really bad having Anzu in the same class as the reader rather than putting her in the class with Yugi and Kaiba, but ultimately I like Anzu in the reader's class more and I feel that given the choice, Anzu would prefer being in a position to be a good friend. 
> 
> Also, yes, I'm the worst at having all the ideas forever. Blame everyone on Tumblr because nobody told me no when I came up with this idea after watching the Itakiss anime. 
> 
> Enjoy?

As you wait at the entrance of the school for Seto Kaiba, you tell yourself not to hope for anything. You can’t hope that he’ll accept your letter, read it, and then want to go out with you. He’s a genius, and you’ve spent the last two years trying to make it into the same class and failing. He’s never noticed you, and this letter won’t change a thing. 

But maybe it will. 

You see Seto Kaiba approaching and press the letter close to your mouth. “Please notice me,” you whisper over the letter. You’ve put your whole heart into the letter and spent the whole night checking it over for spelling errors. It’s the last year of high school, and this is your one shot. 

You hurry over to Kaiba and step in front of him. “Good morning, Kaiba.” You bow, holding the letter out in front of you. “Please accept this letter.” 

There’s silence for a moment, and you focus your eyes on his shoes. You’re still holding the letter out, and you won’t look up until he takes it. 

Then he says, “You’re in my way.” 

You can’t help but look up now. He’s looking down at you, and he looks annoyed. 

“Move.” 

“Oh!” You’re not sure what to say as you stand up straight and shuffle out of his way. He doesn’t even acknowledge your letter or you any further. You can’t just let him go. “Will you accept my letter for you? I spent all night writing it.”

He pauses, looking back, and for a moment, you think he might take the letter. Then he says, “What a waste of time.” 

His words feel like a physical blow to your stomach. You can’t understand how it could have gone so poorly. He has no idea who you are still, and he won’t read your letter. Nothing will change. This was all a waste. You take a deep breath and tell yourself not to cry as you watch him walk into the school. 

Then you hear someone saying, “I can’t believe she thinks she has a chance with Kaiba!” 

It’s the final dagger to your heart. You shove your letter back into your bag and duck your head as you hurry into school. You should have known that Seto Kaiba wouldn’t be interested in you. Trying to keep your emotions under control, you go straight into your classroom and sit down at your desk. 

Anzu is already seated in front of you and turns in her seat. “Good morning!” 

You try to smile, but your face doesn’t cooperate. “Hi, Anzu.” 

“What’s wrong?” 

You just shake your head. You don’t want to talk about it right now.

But then a hand lands on your desk, and you look up to see Miho. “Seto Kaiba? You tried your luck with Seto Kaiba?” 

“Nooooo!” You let your head fall down onto your desk, hiding your face in your arms. You really don’t want to talk about it. 

You can hear Anzu asking Miho what happened. Then Miho tells her that you confessed your love to Kaiba, and he called you a waste of space. 

“That’s not what happened!” you protest, but you don’t lift your head up and your words turn to mumbles. 

“Oh, dear,” Anzu says, “I can’t believe you tried confessing to Kaiba!” You feel a hand land on your head, stroking your hair, and you assume it’s hers. “Well, he’s an ass, and he wouldn’t deserve you anyway.” 

“But he’s so rich and smart and handsome!” You can just picture Miho with heart eyes as she says that.

“Shut up, Miho,” Anzu snaps. 

With a sigh, you lift your head. “It’s ok. Kaiba is a jerk. I don’t want to like a rude boy like that.” 

Anzu smiles, but she doesn’t say anything else. 

Then the teacher comes in and begins the class, stopping any further conversation until Jounouchi shows up ten minutes late for class with his motorcycle helmet still on. The teacher begins scolding Jounouchi, but then midway through the teacher’s speech, Jounouchi takes off his helmet and says, “Sorry, I couldn’t hear a word you said from in there. What’s up?” 

The teacher throws his hands in the air. “Just take your seat Mr. Katsuya.” Then it takes him some time to calm the class back down so he can continue teaching. 

But you can’t focus. You can only think about your rejected letter. Even though you’re not as smart as Kaiba, you had hoped that he might read your letter and take an interest in you. You have a lot to offer! 

You just can’t think of anything right now. Right now, you can only think that you’re so stupid to have even tried. 

By the time the day ends, the rumor has made the rounds of the school, and it seems like everyone knows about your interaction with Kaiba. Jounouchi corners you at the entrance of the school to ask you about it. 

Anzu tries to get in his way. “Leave her alone, Jou. I don’t think she wants to talk about it.” 

“But Kaiba?! That stupid rich boy? Why him?” 

“He’s not stupid,” you mumble. “I dunno. I regret it now!” 

Anzu rubs your back. “That’s why you should go out with me and Miho!”

“No wait!” Jounouchi grins. “Let me cheer you up!” 

You wave them both off and step away. “We just moved into our new house, and Dad wants me home to celebrate tonight.” You wave goodbye and try to hurry away, but while you’re backing away from them, you run into someone. “Sorry!” You turn and find yourself looking straight at Kaiba. Now you just want to melt into the ground. 

Kaiba doesn’t respond, barely glancing your way. 

“HEY RICH BOY!” Jounouchi shouts. “DON’T YOU KNOW HOW TO SAY SORRY!” 

Kaiba looks at him and raises his eyebrow. “I’m sorry nobody taught you how to use your brain.” 

“Why I oughta…” Jounouchi storms over to Kaiba, getting in his face. “You know when a girl is brave enough to confess her feelings to you, you should be nicer! Especially when the girl is as pretty and caring as her!” Jounouchi points at you. 

“I can’t stand people who don’t know their place.” Kaiba puts his hand on Jounouchi’s chest, pushing him away. “Stop barking at me like a rabid dog.” Then Kaiba looks directly at you. “If you can beat me in a duel, I’ll accept your letter.” 

“Fine!” Jounouchi says. “I can wipe the floor with you!” 

Kaiba doesn’t hide his disgust as he looks back at Jounouchi. “You’re not worth my time.” He scoffs. “Neither is she, but I suppose I can be _gracious_ and give her a chance to prove otherwise.” 

“I’m standing right here!” You’re tired of being spoken about as if you aren’t present. You can stand up for yourself. “And I accept your challenge.” 

“Heh. Idiot. Fine then. We have dueling mats in the club room.” He heads back into the school. 

“Wait,” you call out. “I don’t have a deck.” 

From the way Kaiba stares at you, you might have told him that you were an alien. Then his friend steps up next to you. “You can borrow mine if you’d like?”

Kaiba growls. “Yugi!” 

“No!” Jounouchi holds his deck out to you. “You’ll use mine and battle with the power of my love.” 

Kaiba walks up to you. “If you don’t even have your own deck, I refuse to duel you.” Then he walks past you. “What a waste of time.” Jounouchi shouts out that he’s a coward, but Kaiba doesn’t look back as he leaves the school yard. 

His friend, Yugi, hesitates. “Don’t take him too personally. He’s like that with everyone.” Then he leaves as well. 

Jounouchi is fuming, and Anzu has her hand over her mouth. “He’s such a jerk,” you say, more to yourself than them. “He’s not worthy of anyone’s feelings.” You rub your face. You’re not crying. “I’ve gotta go home.” 

You practically run the whole way, not wanting anyone to catch up with you. Maybe today was just a bad dream, and you’ll wake up soon. You can only hope. 

When you make it home, the first thing you notice is the delicious smell. As you take your shoes off in the entryway, you just breathe in deeply. Dad is home, and you can hear him in the kitchen, but you can smell the food, too. 

“Welcome home!” he shouts. “I made your favorite to celebrate our new home!” 

You take one more deep breath. You know you’re spoiled, having a father who is a professional chef, and today you’re extra grateful for the comfort of his food. 

“Thanks, Dad.” You join him in the kitchen. “Do you need any help?” 

He waves you off. “No, not at all. Go do your homework, and I’ll let you know when it’s done!” 

Instead of homework, you get on your computer and start looking up information about Duel Monsters. You’ve never played the game, but Jounouchi enjoys it and has told you some things about it. You probably would’ve lost to Kaiba today, but maybe you stood a chance in the future if you learned more about it. 

By the time your dad calls you to dinner, you have more questions than answers and are relieved for an excuse to stop looking into the game. 

The doorbell rang as you were putting plates out on the table. Your dad hadn’t mentioned expecting anyone. 

“Did you expect company?” Dad asks. 

“No.” You frown. “I’ll check to see who it is.” 

You answer the door and find Anzu, Miho, Jounouchi, and Honda on the other side. “Hey!” they all cheer. 

“Since you wouldn’t come out with us, we decided to come to you,” Anzu says. 

You’re surprised to see them but happy all the same. “Come on in! Dad, it’s my friends!”

Everyone takes off their shoes, and Jounouchi hurries into the other room to try to help your dad out. Anzu hesitates by the door and places a hand on your arm. “You know Jou really wanted to do something to cheer you up.” 

You look down at your shoes. She leans in. “He’s a really good guy, you know?” 

“I do.” How much easier would things be if you liked Jou instead of Kaiba? 

“Anzu!” your dad says. “Welcome! Come sit! Luckily I made plenty of food!” 

Everyone sits down, and Jounouchi says, “Thanks for the delicious meal, Dad!” 

Your dad frowns and looks at you. “Who is he calling Dad?” 

“I’m gonna be your son-in-law one day!” Jounouchi declares. 

“Keep dreaming, Jou!” Miho teases. “She only has eyes for Seto Kaiba.” 

“KAIBA!” Jounouchi jumps up from his seat. “Man I hate that jerk!” He paces and then turns and punches the wall. 

“Woah! Hey!” You and your dad are both standing now, trying to wave for Jounouchi to calm down. Then the building begins to shake. 

“Was that me?” Jounouchi asks. 

The building shakes and shakes, and you’re starting to have a hard time staying upright. 

“Earthquake!” Anzu says, grabbing your hand and pulling you to the front door. She pulls you out to the sidewalk, and Honda and Miho join the two of you, watching your house quiver and shake. 

“DAD!” you cry out as part of the roof begins to collapse. 

Then Jounouchi appears in the doorway, his arm wrapped around your dad as he drags him out of the house. 

“Stop it!” your dad says, trying to throw off Jounouchi’s grip. “This is a good, strong home!” 

Then the entire house collapses behind them. Anzu wraps her arms around you in a hug, and Miho joins her. The two of them are the only thing keeping you standing as you stare at the ruins of your new home. 

You don’t know how long you stand there, but the ambulance arrives with the fire department and then the police. Nobody is hurt, luckily, but you can’t sleep in your home tonight. 

“You can sleep over with me,” Anzu offers. “We don’t have much space, but you can share my bed.” 

You don’t want to leave your dad. He looks so dumbfounded and sad. But he overhears Anzu’s offer and says, “Thank you, Anzu.” He wraps an arm around you and pulls you into a hug. “I’m sorry, my darling. Stay with Anzu tonight, and I’ll figure something out for tomorrow.” 

You pull out of the hug. “But what about you?”

“I have a cot at the shop. I’ll bunk there for tonight. But I will find a solution for tomorrow!” 

So you go home with Anzu, your heart heavy with the knowledge that you’re homeless. 

The next day, you arrive at school in one of Anzu’s uniforms. It fits poorly, but at least you have a clean uniform. You just hope nobody will pay attention to you. The gossip from your rejection yesterday will hopefully have died down. 

Then you see Jounouchi and Honda standing at the entrance of the school, both of them holding signs asking for donations in your name! 

You shove your way to the front of the crowd around them. “Jou! What are you doing!” 

“You’re here!” He tries to give you a hug, but you back away from him. “We just wanted to help you get back on your feet after that disaster yesterday.” He looks so sad that you almost want to forgive him, but he’s making you the center of attention again. 

You grab his sign and throw it to the ground. “Stop this! I don’t need charity.” 

“All the charity in the world wouldn’t make you smarter.” 

You spin around, recognizing the voice as Seto Kaiba. 

“Kaiba! You bastard!” Jounouchi shouts, pulling you back and stepping between you and Kaiba. “This is all your fault! You jinxed her and ruined her day yesterday.” 

Kaiba scoffs. “I didn’t knock down her house, but if you really feel that way, here.” He pulls a wallet out and opens it. Then he pulls out a note and throws it at Jounouchi’s feet. “A donation for you so you’ll stop yapping.” 

He tries to walk away, but you scoop up the money and follow him. “I don’t need ANYTHING from you!” You try to shove the money back at him, but he just looks at it, so you shove it into the pocket of his shirt. “I can’t believe I wasted any time on you!” You don’t give him another look as you storm off to class. 

Whispers follow you for the rest of the day, but you do your best to ignore them. They just remind you that you don’t know what will happen to you tonight. Your dad texted that he found a solution and will pick you up after school, but he didn’t give you any details. 

You’re worried the solution is for both of you to sleep in the shop. You love your dad’s little restaurant, but you can’t imagine living there, and you know you don’t have the money for a hotel. 

So when you finally see your dad after school, you don’t say hi, you just ask, “Where are we staying?” 

“We’re going to stay with a friend of mine!” He’s smiling. “He called me up, out of the blue, and said he has room in his home for us.” 

You try to think of who he might be talking about, but you didn’t know that your dad had any friends in town. “We’re not moving far are we?” 

“No not at all! Shigeki actually lives around here! He and I went to school together but he moved away years ago. When he returned, he thought I’d moved away and didn’t get in touch, but he saw us on the news, and that allowed him to find me again!” Your dad is grinning now. “So in some ways, this has been a turn of good fortune!” 

You don’t know anything about this Shigeki, but you have to trust your dad. Still, you can’t help but worry about living with a stranger. 

“He even has a son at your school!” 

Now you’re on alert. “What?” Maybe it isn’t someone you know. 

“Yes, so you have to be careful! I know how teenage boys think.” 

You frown. “What’s your friend’s full name? Shigeki…?”

“Ah. Shigeki Kaiba.” 

No. 

It can’t be. 

Dread fills your entire body. Your dad pulls up to a beautiful townhouse, and as you look over, you have a feeling that yesterday may not have been the worst day of your life. You follow your dad up to the gate where he rings the doorbell. 

A short, round man comes out with his arms outstretched. “Shigeo!” He and your father hug, talking together about how good it is to be reunited. 

You breathe a sigh of relief. This man looks nothing like Seto Kaiba. He couldn’t possibly be his father. 

Then a beautiful woman emerges. “Shigeki! Invite them in!” She looks at you and smiles. “Oh! You’re more beautiful than you looked in the news!” She reaches out for your arm and pulls you into their home. “Come in! Come in! Our home is your home! SETO! Come here!”

You stumble over your own feet. You can feel your heart stop as you look up to see Seto Kaiba coming down the stairs. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support with this fic! Since I was basically ripping off a manga and doing an AU, I felt like this might be a niche story, so I'm happy to see so many people coming along for the ride. Thank you all for your support! 
> 
> And please enjoy this second chapter! :D

“There you are Seto!” Mrs. Kaiba wraps her arms around her son’s shoulders once he reaches the bottom of the stairs. “Come greet our guest! Isn’t she lovely?” 

You can’t look at his face now. He doesn’t find you lovely at all. He must be about to say something rude.

“Welcome to our home,” he says. 

“You should sound more excited than that!” She sighs. “My son is so handsome. I don’t know why he can’t be charming too!” 

You glance up to see her hanging off Kaiba. He keeps his arms down to his side as his mom hugs him. He doesn’t even glance her way, choosing to stare at you as he asks, “May I leave now?” 

She frowns and pulls away from him, shoving his shoulder. “You’re so rude, Seto! I was hoping the two of you might recognize each other. You’re classmates aren’t you?” Then she takes a few steps toward you, and you don’t know what to say to her. 

“We’ve recently begun getting to know each other quite well,” Kaiba says. Then he raises an eyebrow and smirks at you. 

You can feel your face flush. His smirk is attractive, but you don’t want him to tell his family about your letter! 

His mother starts talking about how wonderful it will be for her son to have a friend, especially one as lovely as you. You try to listen and smile, but over her shoulder, your eyes are drawn to Kaiba. His arms are crossed, and while he isn’t glaring, he doesn’t look happy.

Your dad comes in with Kaiba’s and they’re both carrying suitcases. All of the clothes and belongings you could scrounge from the wreckage of your home.

“You must be tired.” Mrs. Kaiba wraps an arm around you. “Let me show you to your room. Seto get her bag.”

You try to protest that you can get your own bag, but she shushes you, leading you up the stairs. She leads you to a bedroom on the second floor, pushing the door open to reveal a very pink bedroom. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I decorated the room for you. I always wanted to have a daughter!” 

There’s a gigantic canopy bed with frills and a wooden dresser with a huge mirror. She’s put a lot of effort into the room. “Thank you. I love it!” It doesn’t matter if the words are true or not. She didn’t need to go to this much effort for you. 

“Good! I hope you’ll feel at home here. Oh, Mokuba!” She holds out her hand, and you look in the direction of the doorway to see a little boy with long, black hair standing there. “Come introduce yourself to your new sister.” 

“She’s not my sister!” He stomps his foot before turning to run down the hallway. 

Mrs. Kaiba sighs, pressing a hand to her face. “Well, I’m sure he’ll warm up to you.”

“Not likely,” Kaiba says as he carries your bag into the room and puts it down next to the door.

“Don’t be mean,” his mother scolds. 

“She took Mokuba’s room. I’m just being honest.” He turns and leaves as his mother huffs. 

“I don’t know how I raised such a child!” She presses a hand to her face and sighs. “Well, I hope you’ll join us for dinner once you’ve settled in. Your father said he’s cooking for everyone tonight, and I’m sure my boys will behave themselves.” Then she looks around the room and smiles before leaving. 

You don’t know Mokuba, but you doubt Seto will play nice. You let yourself fall backward onto your new bed. How could this very pink room have belonged to a boy? With a sigh, you get up so you can look through your suitcase and make sure you have an extra uniform. Wearing Anzu’s uniform all day has been miserable. 

You take a moment to change into house clothing before making your way downstairs. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiba both sit at the table, sipping tea, as they chat with your father. He’s taken over their kitchen and is chopping up vegetables for dinner. 

“Please don’t make anything too delicious,” Mrs. Kaiba says to him, “or my family will get spoiled and hate my cooking.” 

Mr. Kaiba places a hand on her arm. “We would never hate your cooking, dear!” 

“That’s what you say now, but wait until you have a professional chef cooking dinner at home.” 

Your dad laughs. “I’m really just a humble chef.” 

“Don’t be so modest Shigeo! I’m sure it’ll be wonderful, and then we’ll have my wife’s fruit imagawayaki for dessert.” 

You’ve been backing away from the kitchen, and you back straight into a wall. Then you turn and realize that you’ve run into Kaiba. “Sorry.” You take a big step away from him. Then you notice Mokuba and smile his way. He frowns and crosses his arms, killing your smile. 

“I want to make one thing clear,” Kaiba says. “If I had a choice in the matter, you wouldn’t be here.” 

His glare causes you to look down at your feet. You know that he doesn’t like you, but he doesn’t need to be so mean. 

“I don’t want anyone at school to know you’re living here. I don’t need to be associated with you.” 

“As if I want anything more to do with you.” 

Kaiba scoffs at your response. “Just don’t tell people you’re living with me.” He leaves without waiting for a response, and his brother goes with him. 

Your dad is talking with his parents in the kitchen still, but as you look around at the living room, you don’t feel comfortable just sitting down to wait on dinner. Instead, you join the adults in the kitchen and try to help your dad make dinner for your hosts. 

The next morning, after you finish getting ready for school, you go downstairs and find breakfast ready for you. Mrs. Kaiba encourages you to sit down and puts a plate in front of you. You begin eating, glancing over at Kaiba sitting across from you. He and Mokuba both ignore you, giving you the opportunity to stare. 

If you look at just Kaiba, it’s easy to daydream about eating breakfast together, alone. You look down at your food as a smile forces its way onto your face. Everything seems like a dream. 

Then Kaiba slams his bowl down. “I’m leaving.” 

“Oh! Seto!” Mrs. Kaiba puts her hand on your shoulder. “You’ll show our guest to school right? We don’t want her getting lost!” 

Kaiba sneers as he looks at you. “She can follow me if she hurries.” 

You shovel the last bit of food into your mouth as Mokuba calls out for his brother to wait for him. Then Mrs. Kaiba reaches out and pushes Mokuba back into his chair. “You have plenty of time to finish eating!” she says. 

He’s protesting, but you don’t have time to listen as you rush out the door, grabbing your bag and shoes along the way. Kaiba is already at the gate when you open the front door, and he lets the gate slam shut in your face. “Hey!” you call out, pushing the gate open and hurrying to catch up with him. “Wait up!” 

“No.”

You manage to catch up with him, but you’re already feeling out of breath. Then he stops, turning on you. “Since you’re too stupid to use GPS, you may follow me to school just. This. Once.” Now he’s looming over you. “But you need to keep up.” 

Then he takes off walking. For a moment, you’re caught between the fact that he called you stupid and how close he’d been to you. Then you realize that you really need to follow him and take off running. 

He leads you to the train station, and you try to remember how to get there from the Kaiba house. The trains will be helpful for more than just school, and you try to study the train map to figure out where this stop is. It seems to have limited lines that go through. 

Then Kaiba steps forward for the train that just arrived, and you rush to get into the train, too. You try to stay close to him but the train is packed, and you end up all the way on the other side of the car. It’s standing room only so you hold the bar and try not to avoid pressing against strangers. 

By the time people get on at the next stop, it’s impossible to avoid touching other people. You keep your hands and bag close in front of your body. A glance around allows you to see Kaiba, and he’s somehow managed to get a space with his back near the bike rack. He has enough space to even have a book out. 

When the train stops at the next station, you try to take advantage of people moving to make your way over to Kaiba. The flow of people leaving helps, but then you find yourself being pushed past him and toward the open doors. 

“Kaiba!” You wave a hand, trying to get his attention as you fight to stay in the train. He looks up over the top of his book but doesn’t move as you’re swept out of the train by the rush of people. You fight, pushing against the wave of people exiting the station, but then the train doors slam shut in your face. 

Kaiba looks right at you as the train begins pulling away. 

And then the train is gone. 

For a moment, things seem hopeless. You’re alone, lost, with no idea how to get to school from here. Maybe Kaiba was right…

No, he wasn’t right at all. You pull out your phone. You’ve used it for directions to new places plenty of times. 

If you hurry, you can still make it to school on time! 

By the time you see the school, the warning bell rings in the distance, and you break out into a run for the final stretch. There are very few students about, and many of them are rushing, just like you, but when you catch a glimpse of Kaiba, you stumble and stop near him. 

“HEY!” you shout. “I was almost late because of you!” 

He sneers. “Women who try to blame others for their own problems are unattractive.” He walks away from you in the direction of his own class, and you wish you could think of something clever to say. Instead, you sputter with rage as he leaves. 

The bell rings again, and you curse, running off in the direction of your own class. 

As you slide into your own desk, your teacher rolls his eyes but doesn’t comment. Anzu and Miho both stare at you, and Miho waves a hand as if she wants your attention, but you ignore them. Kaiba’s insult plays over in your head as you remember the way he casually watched the train leave you behind. 

After taking attendance, your teacher reminds the class that exams are coming up before launching into the first lesson of the day. He has your attention. Exam results are prestigious with everyone in the upper classes trying to make it onto the top 50. Kaiba always takes first place.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing for him if someone else took first place? Especially if that someone were you. 

You focus on your teacher and take the best notes that you can. Tonight, you’ll stay up and study. If you work hard, maybe you can beat Kaiba and shame him. 

You even write down all the page numbers for the recommended practice problems. You don’t quite understand everything your teacher is saying, but you write it all down. You’ll read the book and do the problems tonight.

By lunchtime, you have a plan in place. You’ll study every single night leading up to the test. You’ll get the top score. Kaiba will have to bow down at your feet in awe. So when Anzu asks you how you are, you respond, “Great!” with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm. 

She frowns. “So you have a place to stay?” 

She’s asking about your home situation. What should you tell her? “Yes, it’s really nice.” That’s true. The Kaibas have a nice home. 

She’s still frowning as she presses her lips together, pursing them. She looks like she might be about to ask more questions, but then Miho joins the two of you. “I’m so ready for lunch!” She grins, holding up her bento box. “Should we sneak out to eat on the grass?” 

You embrace the change of subject. “Let’s do it.” 

Anzu follows the two of you but can’t stop herself from scolding Miho. “Aren’t you interested in whether or not your friend is homeless?” It’s a nice sentiment. She’s worried about you. 

“I’m fine. Really.” 

“See!” Miho shoots a grin at Anzu. 

“Where are you staying? Is it nearby?” 

“It’s kind of far. But not too bad.” You shrug. 

Miho grins. “Who’re you staying with? Are they cute?” 

“We’re staying with my dad’s friend! Ew!” And yes, there is a cute boy in the house, but you don’t want to tell them that you’re living with Seto Kaiba. It’s just too much to talk about. 

Even if part of you wants to tell the whole school just to stick it to him. 

“Aw.” Miho doesn’t hide her disappointment. “Wouldn’t it have been fun if you’d found a hottie to stay with? Just like a drama!” 

Anzu wraps her arm around your shoulders. “We’re just happy you found somewhere to stay!” 

“Hey!” Jounouchi jogs up to the three of you and throws himself into a seated position on the grass. “Do’ya want to go check out that new bakery after school!” 

Miho’s the first to respond. “YES! It’s so cute looking!”

“Can’t,” says Anzu. “I have dance lessons after school, and then a late shift.” 

“Oh, I was going to ask if you wanted to study.” You pout at Anzu. “Maybe tomorrow?” 

She shakes her head. “I have dance or work every day this week.” 

You sigh. Out of your friends, she’s the smartest, but it sounds like she won’t be studying for the test. 

“I’ll study with ya.” Jounouchi grins. 

Anzu frowns. “You’ve never wanted to study together before?” It’s a tentative question. 

“I’m going to take the first place this time,” you announce. You grin at your friends as they stare at you. 

Then they start laughing. 

You grab your things and stand up. How dare they laugh. 

Anzu, for her part, tries to stop, biting her lip. “Does this have something to do with Seto Kaiba?” 

“NO!” You can’t tell her about the events of this morning. 

She raises her eyebrow, still grinning. 

“Fine. Yes. I want to beat that stupid smug jerk.” 

Pity is written all over Anzu’s face, and Miho is still laughing. Jounouchi’s laughter has stopped, and he stands up to reach out for your hand. “You should stop worrying about that jerk! Let’s go to the cafe today! My treat!” 

You snatch your hand away. “I’ve decided to get first place, and I’m going to do it!” 

“Sweetie,” Anzu says. “He gets a perfect score. Even if you somehow managed to get a perfect score, you’d only tie with him.” 

You huff, unable to even say that you’ll get a perfect score. It’s too unrealistic. Kaiba must be part robot for being able to do it every single time. “WELL I’LL GET IN THE TOP 50!” 

And once you make that declaration, there’s no going back. You will get on the top 50. 

So you storm away from your friends before you can listen to them discourage you. You know they’re just trying to help, but you will get in the top 50.

Somehow.

And that’s how you find yourself staying up late to study that evening. The textbook questions confuse you, and when you try to go back and read the chapter, you find yourself even more confused. The only consolation is the fact that Kaiba must be up studying hard just a wall away from you. 

A knock at your door gives you visions of Kaiba joining you, so when the door opens to reveal Mrs. Kaiba, you can’t help but feel a little disappointed. She carries in a tray with snacks and a cup of tea. “I brought you something to keep you going!” She puts it down on the desk and sits down on the edge of your bed. “How are you holding up?” 

“I’m doing my best.” 

She holds her hands in her lap as she smiles at you. “It’s so nice to feel like a proper mother!” Then her eyes go wide. “Not that I’d want to replace your mom, dear, but oh, to be able to provide a snack while you study… I feel useful!” 

Her glee makes her seem younger, more like a big sister, and you almost want to confide in her. But then you remember that she’s the mother of your enemy. “Don’t you give snacks to Kaiba?” 

“Seto?” She frowns. “That boy never studies, and I think Mokuba is going to be far too much like him.” She tilts her head to the side and looks at you. “I always wanted a girl, but I have two boys who don’t even know how to be cute.” She sighs. 

“He never studies?” That one fact doesn’t make any sense. “But he always gets a perfect score!” 

“I know! He’s insufferable, but if you need any help, you should ask him.” 

You glare down at your books. The help would be nice, but Kaiba would just mock you and call you names. 

“Do you have time for a break?” Mrs. Kaiba asks. 

“I’d love to take a break!” If you’re honest with yourself, you don’t feel like you understand the material any better now than you did an hour ago. 

She holds up a finger. “One moment. I’ll be right back!” She disappears, and you take the moment to start drinking your tea and eating your snack. Your dad always stayed at the restaurant until closing so it was nice having someone look after you. 

She returns, carrying an album with her. She sits on the bed and pats the space next to her. “Come see!” 

You join her as she opens the album to the first page. “Look!” 

The first page is full of pictures of a cute baby girl in frilly dresses. You coo over the pictures for a moment before you wonder who they are. “Does Kaiba have an older sister?” 

She grins. “It’s Seto!” 

Eyes wide, you look at the pictures again. You can’t tell if the baby really is Seto or not, but she has the same dark blue eyes. 

“I always wanted a baby girl so when I was pregnant, I convinced myself I was having a girl.” Mrs. Kaiba presses her fingers to one of the pictures. “Buying all those dresses was so much fun. When Seto was born… I couldn’t just throw them away.” Then she turns the page, and there’s even more photos of Kaiba dressed in cute dresses, now with bows in his hair. “I selfishly pretended he was a girl for as long as I could.” She turns the pages and Seto gets older and older. “Sometimes I wonder if that’s why he’s so cold now.” 

You don’t know what to say to her. “He looks very cute.” 

“Yes.” She smiles down at the album. “I’ve always wanted to share these pictures, but Seto won’t let me.” Then she smirks at you, and you know where Kaiba inherited that expression. “But this is our little secret. Mokuba doesn’t even know.”

You don’t blame Kaiba for being embarrassed that his mom treated him like a girl as a child, and as you look back at your schoolwork, an idea forms. “May I… keep one of the pictures?” 

“Of course,” Mrs. Kaiba winks. “Seto is cute in them after all.” She pushes one out of its place in the book before handing it to you. 

You grin at the photo. “Thank you so much!”

You’ll get into the top 50, and Seto Kaiba is going to help you get there. 


End file.
